Nurses, doctors, healthcare staff and home carers have been braving the snow and heading to work despite warnings to stay off the roads and stay indoors.

Emergency procedures have been enacted at all three of Bristol’s main hospitals, with nurses who are able to get to work coming in on days off to cover for staff who are stranded too far away.

Many staff who worked on Thursday were unable to get home, so volunteered to work on today, Friday, March 2, in place of staff who are now unable to get in to work.

Staff arriving at work in 4x4 at the BRI (Image: UBHT)

And out in the community, care workers from Bristol’s many care agencies and companies, have abandoned their cars and are walking between appointments to make sure the most vulnerable people are cared for in their homes.

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At the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Bristol Children’s Hospital, the UBH Trust booked rooms at the Premier Inn on Thursday for staff who were unable to get home.

Many of those staff have now gone back into work for a second shift – simply because they are still unable to get home.

One issue was that the shift changeover at 8pm on Thursday night came just as the police declared a ‘major incident’ and issued urgent advice to stay off the roads. Buses had also finished by that point too.

“Nurses, nursing assistants and auxiliaries couldn’t get home, it was really tough,” said one member of staff at the children’s hospital.

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“One nurse walked all the way to Frampton Cotterell and it took hours. She’s back in to work today,” she added.

The University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust thanked staff for making the extra effort to get in.

"Thank you to all of our staff who are going that extra mile during this weather" said a spokesperson for the trust.

4x4 response

"We're so grateful to those who've come in when they are not scheduled to work," adding that nurses and nursing assistants volunteering to come in to work are being reassigned to roles to cover for absent colleagues.

Southmead Hospital recruited an army of 4x4 drivers who volunteered to help, but the 4x4s commissioned by the BRI and the children’s hospital weren’t able to get everyone home.

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Snow in Bristol

“We’ve prioritised on the most vulnerable. I have to say families have been fantastic, and we’ve talked to lots of families who are helping out. But there are many people with no family nearby so they are the people we have to get to,” she said.

“We have no other option – we have to get to these people, they have no one else.

“Right across Kingswood, South Gloucestershire and Bristol there will be hundreds of care workers who are not just stopping, they are carrying on getting to the people who need them, we can’t stop,” she added.

“Sometimes carers don’t get the credit they deserve, but everyone has been amazing. It’s absolutely dreadful conditions, but we’ll make sure those people with no one have some care,” she added.